Friday, October 12, 2012

Old Schoolhouse

Below is a photo of the 1917 Ocracoke Schoolhouse. You can click on the photo to see a larger image. When you do, look carefully at the corner braces in the front entrance way. I had been told that those braces were recycled for use on another island building. The other day I rode my bike down to the building to take a photo and was surprised to discover that the corner braces are different. Maybe one of our local readers knows if the schoolhouse braces can be located.

1917 Ocracoke Schoolhouse












Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a gallery of photos of fences on Howard Street and Lawton Lane. To go directly to the this month's Newsletter click here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092112.htm

8 comments:

  1. When was the current schoolhouse built?

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  2. The present-day Ocracoke schoolhouse was built in 1971.

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  3. Anonymous11:47 AM

    The automobiles in the photo is certainly not from 1917; more like vintage 1930s is my guess.

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  4. I guess I wasn't very clear. 1917 is the year the schoolhouse was built, not the year the photo was taken. I don't think there was a single automobile on the island in 1917.

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  5. Anonymous12:00 PM

    Hmm the building has a chimney - what room was the fire place located? Also why would the brackets be recycled? Replaced yes recycled to be incorporated into another building how strange. I supposethere was no school bus transportation provided how did children arrive to school walk bike hoss and boggy? Did Wayne ride his pony to school??

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  6. In 1952 a new "steam heating unit" was installed in the schoolhouse. I'm not sure how the school was heated prior to that time -- originally it was wood stoves, but maybe there was something else between wood and steam.

    Recycled? Ocracokers, who didn't have easy access to stores on the mainland, recycled nearly anything you can imagine.

    Ocracoke has never had a school bus to transport children to and from school (in recent years an activity bus is used for trips off island). Children walked or came by horseback until the roads were paved in the 40s & 50s. Then bikes became popular.

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  7. Anonymous9:01 AM

    Philip, reading your comments have reminded me I took some photos of the O.I. school activity bus a few years ago. It fascinated NC Mainlander because of the dolphin painted on the side. That little activity bus was just "cute" & so unique! One would never see a dolphin painted on a bus from the mainland!

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  8. My father was s stationed there in the late 1960's. I wasn't old enough, but I remember my brother going yo school there and walking. I also recall that it was only 2 or 3 rooms, and several grades were in each room.

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